Sheet-inserter.



E. W EDGERTON. SHEET INSBBTBR. APPLI 0AT ION FILED MAR. 14, 1910.

980,081 Patented Dec.27, 1910.

M QMW Ea Way rim EARLE W. EDGERTON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

SHEET-INSEBTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed March 14, 1910. Serial No. 549,177.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARLE W. Eoennron, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Inserters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in sheet inserters for use in connection with loose leaf ledgers or other forms of loose leaf binders having either rigid or telescoping binding posts.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of its kind which will enable the user to easily and quickly insert a leaf in a ledger of the class just mentioned.

To this end my invention comprises the following features and combinations of elements as will be hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a plan of an inserter embodying my invention showing a loose leaf arranged therein; Fig. 2 is a section taken upon the line X-X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is another section taken upon the line YY.

In the drawings 2 and 3 represent respectively an upperand lower plate or member which coact together and are so constructed as to produce my invention. The upper plate 2 is made out of a single piece of thin metal or other suitable material one edge of which is doubled back to form a wedge tapering outwardly along one side of the plate. The side 4 of this turned back portion is spaced from the face of the plate and its inner edge is secured thereto at 5 by soldering or other suitable means. By this construction substantially the entire edge of the plate 2 which is adapted to be inserted between the leaves of a ledger is of wedge shape and in consequence the plates when placed together can more easily be inserted between the leaves and a smooth acting device is produced. In the edge of the member having the wedge, notches 6 are formed which are spaced apart and adapted to admit the binding posts such as 7 of the ledger.

stantially right angular inwardly projecting detents 10 which project through or across the outer ends of the slots or passageways of the notches 6. The outer portions or free ends of the springs 8 work loosely in the space between the side 4: and body of the plate, openings 11 being formed in the sided to freely admit the members of the springs and allow them to have free play. Normally the detents of the springs substantially close across the outer ends of the notches 6 as illustrated by the right hand portion of Fig. 1 of the drawings. The left hand portion of this figure shows one of the springs expanded with one of the binding posts of the ledger between them and forcing them apart.

The lower plate 3 of the inserter has its opposite ends formed with upwardly projecting flanges 12 which are provided. to hold the leaf 13 of the paper to be inserted in the ledger and the upper plate or member in position on the lower plate or member so that notches in the lower plate or member and the leaf to be inserted will be maintained in perfect alinement. At the outer ends of the notches or cutout portions of the leaf to be inserted in the ledger are retaining projections 14. As usual when the leaf is inserted these retaining projections 14 have to bend upwardly in passing the posts 7. WVhen the leaf to be inserted is placed between the upper and lower plates the retaining projections are positioned across the notches in the inserter plates as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the detents 10 of the springs 8 tend normally to hold the retaining projections flat.

In the operation of the device it will be understood that the leaf to be inserted is arranged between the upper and lower plates or members 2 and 3, the inner edge of the leaf being arranged flush with the inner edges of the inserter plates and the notches in the leaf coinciding with the 199 the leaf are inserted wedge foremost at the 105 desired position in the ledger. The plates and the ends of the leaf are then pushed or forced inwardly until the wedge spreads the leaves apart and the notches in the plates and leaf have engaged the binding posts of 110 the ledger after which the plates are withdrawn leaving the inserted leaf in position. Vhen the leaf is being inserted as hereinbefore described, the binding posts of the ledger will force the detents from across the slots in the plates thus permitting the leaf retaining projections 14: to bend upwardly in passing the posts. After the detents have thus been pushed past the posts they will spring inwardly and in so doing will smooth the projections or points of the ledger leaf down in operative position beyond the post to retain the leaf in place. In withdrawing the upper plate the spring fingers will be forced back to allow the notches in the plate 2 to be disengaged from the post.

' I am aware that leaf inserters have here tofore been constructed having two plates formed with notches and with springs for resetting the projecting flanges of the leaf in engagement with the binding posts of the ledger but in such constructions, it has never before been customary to form one of the members with a wedge along its entire inner inserting edge so that the leaves of the ledger between which the loose leaf is to be in serted, are spread wide apart along their entire inner edges. This construction as set forth in my invention is a distinct advantage because the leaves are held evenly apart and the plates can be more easily withdrawn from the ledger leaf leaving the inserted leaf in place and interlocked with the binding posts without danger of becoming disengaged or partly disengaged by uneven contact with the inserter plates.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent thebest embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is i A loose leaf inserter, comprising upper and lower sheet holding plates having formed therein post engaging notches to correspond with the post engaging notches in the leaf, one of said plates being formed with a wedge tapering outwardly along its inner edge substantially throughout its en tire length, means to hold the plates in operative engagement with the leaf and means whereby the retaining devices on the ledger leaf are restored to an operative position in passing the binding posts of the ledger.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EARLE W. EDGERTON. WVitnesses 2 JULE DONOVAN, MARTIN H. ALBIN. 

